Torpedo.



'G. F. RUSSELL.

.TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1515.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

ma ma STATES PATENT omen.

TORPEIDO.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed November 9, 1915. Serial No. 60,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. RUSSELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Torpedocs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to projectiles and has for its principal object,the provision of a sustaining surface operating to sustain theprojectile by the re-actions resulting when the surface is moved throughthe air or when the projectile is in flight, and it is contemplatedherein to include means for changing the angle of incidence of saidsurface to meet common requirements and to also include means wherebythe projectile may be made to take predetermined courses while inflight,v including respectively ascending and descending movementsthereof as well as curvilineal movements.

I further contemplate providing a pro jectile or aerial torpedo whichmay be set in operation by any suitable well known form of launchingapparatus or projected and started in its flight by simply casting thesame from an aeroplane or the like and one which will be provided withmeans whereby the structure -may be accurately projected toward asighted mark.

A still further object is to provide a shell or tube containing anexplosive charge and means for sustainln the weight of the tube and forinsuring sta ility of the tube while in flight.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views, and in,which:-

, Figure 1 is a side view of my aerial torpedo. Fig. 2 is a top planview thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectionthrough a part of the tube. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the'means for changing the. angle of the sustentation surface. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal section through the tube showing the firing mechanism.

In carrying the invention into practice and in order that means may beemployed for sustaining the weight of a projectile, and for causing thesame to be moved through the air by atmospheric reaction on thesustaining surfaces of the structure when the latter 1s impelled eitherby force or gravity or by mechanical power, it is found commerciallyfeasible to employ a tube 1 the same being in the present instance, of aconfiguration conforming with that of' a torpedo commonly employed inwarfare and it is preferred that the firing chamber 2 be provided with adiaphragm 3 having a concussion cap 5 which when fired will instantlyoperate an explosive charge within the tube.

. The tube has its crown 5 provided with a sliding firing pin 6, the end7 thereof being normally disposed in spaced relation to the cap 4 underthe action of a spring 8. The forward end of the firing pin is equippedwith a plurality of lateral wings or extensions 9 whose outerw ends arecurved in a forward direction as at 10 so as to readily come intocontact with objects, such as wire entanglements, hay stacks or the likeand thereby cause movement in a firing direction to be imparted to thepin'6. However, the firing device just mentioned is only one of manyforms which may be associated with the structure to cause a charge to beexploded at a desired time and for this reason, I do not wish to limitmyself to this precise arrangement. At the stern of the tube 1 is meansfor visually making lmown the flight of the object at night-time or atsuch other time as obscurities in the atmosphere may necessitate thetrail of the pro ectile being illnated in order that the operator mayreadily follow the torpedo until the mark aimed at is struck. This meansconsists in equipping the stern of the tube with a lens 11 having a lamp12 associated therewith, which may receive its power from anelectricsource, such as a battery, not shown. v

The sustaining surface 13 extends over the tube and as illustrated, saidsurface is transversely curved and it extends through the major lengthof the tube. This surface is disposed at an angle to the axis of thetube, the distance between the latter and the entering edge of the planeor surface 13 bein greater than th e distance between the tu e and thetrailing edge of said plane.

- Suitable cross guys 14 connect the sides of are designed so as topermit the angle of incidence of the surface to be changed at the willof the operator and according to such calculations as may be employedfor the purpose of establishing equilibrium.- For this purpose thestruts consist of permanent socket bases 17 and threaded adjustablesections 18. Nuts 19 upon such threaded sec tions may be brought to bearagainst the ends of the tubular sections; 17 as shown in Fig. 5. Thesenuts may therefor be adjusted so as to cause the screw sections to movein a vertical direction. Set screws 20 upon the sections 17 are adaptedto be brought in impinging contact with the sections 18 to securely holdthe same in their adjusted position. To compensate for the mentionedadjustment of the surface 13 the guys 14 and 15 are provided withsuitable turn buckles 21 as conventionally illustrated. herein.

At the aft end of the tube are fixed depressing and elevating surfaces22-22. Dis

posed at right angles to the surfaces 2222 is a balancing surface 23,the latter being detachable from a permanent surface 24 and it may bereversed or mounted upon the underside of the tube if desired. To thepermanent surface 24 is attached a rudder 25. Movably connected to thesurfaces 2 222 are movable sections 26 having controlling means 27adapted to be operated whereby to cause the object. to ascend ordescendat the wish of the operator. The object may be made to take a curvedcourse by setting the rudder 25 through the controlling means 28.

It follows from the construct-ion described that the torpedo orprojectile may be propelled by mechanical power or by force of gravityand when launched it may be most accurately conveyed to a predeterminedtarget or mark.

What is claimed as new is 1. An aerial torpedo comprising a body, asustaining plane pitched at an inclined angle with relation to the axisof the body, uprights connecting said sustainin plane with the body, andmeans arrange in the length of and forming part of said uprights forvarying the effective length of said uprights, whereby to bodily adjustthe plane to vary the distance between the same and the body withoutchanging the pitch of said plane, or to both vary the distance'andinclination of the plane with respect to the axis of the body.

2. An aerial torpedo comprising a body, a sustaining plane located overthe forward portion thereof and pitched at an inclined angle withrelation to the axis of the body, rigid and vertically movablehorizontal planes at the rear end of the body and disposedsubstantiallyin line with the horizontal longitudinal, center of thebody, and vertically disposed fixed and movable vanes upon the rearportion of the body disposed substantially above the horizontal plane ofthe body and extending vertically to a point substantially in horizontalalinement with having its stern portion formed to provide a lightchamber having a light transmitting lens, and illuminating meansinclosed with? in said light chamber.

5. An aerial torpedo comprising a longi tudinally tapered body havingits reduced stern portion provided with a partition forming anilluminating chamber, a lens closing the outer side of said illuminatingchamber, and an illuminating device disposed within said chamber andsupported by said partition.

6. An aerial torpedo com rising a body, horizontal fins upon the si esof the stern end of the body, horizontal rudders hinged or pivoted tosaid fins and having their adjacent edges spaced apart, the body beingprovided with an illuminating chamber extending into said space betweenthe horizontal rudders, and illuminating means within said chamber.

7. An aerial torpedo comprising a body having its nose portion providedwith a firing chamber, provided with a char e igniter therein, a firingpin for setting 0 sald igniter, said pin being movably mounted in thebody and extending outwardly therethrough, means for normally holdingthe m retracted, and radially arranged compoun y I curved flukes or armscarried by the outer end of the pin and extending outwardly be- 1' yondthe sides of the nose portion.

8. A torpedo comprising a body having a nose portion provided with afiring chamher, said chamber having an igniting device I therein, aslidably mounted firmg pin arranged-for engagementwith said ignitingdevice and projecting outwardly from said chamber, means for normallyholding said firing pin retracted, and a plurality of radially arrangedserpentine-shaped flukes or arms mounted upon the outer end of thefiring pin and extending beyond the sides said sustaining plane being ofgreatest width or spread at its leading edge and thence graduallytapering rearwardly to a reduced edges and having its concaved surfacefac-.

ing downwardly, and connecting means between said sustaining plane andthe torpedo shaped body.

10. I An aerial torpedo comprising a body, a sustaining plane pitched atan" inclined angle with relation to the axis, of the body, sectionalconnecting elements between the sustaining plane and body, eachconsisting of rigid sections upon the body, for rigidly fixing the planewith relation to the body, said sections being adjustably connected sothat the distance of the plane from the body may be varied withoutvarying the pitch of the plane or the plane adjusted to vary itsdistance from the body and also its inclination with relation to theaxis of the body, and means for maintaining the sections of therespective sectional connecting elements rigidly in alinement with eachother.

firAn aerial torpedo comprising a torpedo-shaped body, a sustainingplane extending along the greater portion of the length of the body fromthe nose portion rearwardly, leaving a relatively short por tion of thebody extending inthe form of a tail beyond the trailing edge of theplane,

in presence of said plane being pitched at an inclined angle withrelation to the axis of the body, rigid connections between the planeand body, rigid and vertically movable horizontal planes at the-rear endof the body and disposed substantially in line with the horizontallongitudinal center of the body, and vertically disposed fixed andmovable vanes upon the tail portion of the body, said fixed vanesextending vertically to a point substantially in vertical alinement withthe trailing portion of the inclined sustaining plane.

12. An aerial torpedo including a body, a sustaining plane mounted uponthe body, adjustable connections for maintaining the plane at aninclined angle with relation to the axis of the bodyf'said connectionsconsisting of uprights each composed of'relatively adjustable sections,adjustable solely in the direction of their length, whereby the planemay be adjusted bodilyv to vary its position with relation to the bodywithout varying its pitch or angle of incidence.

In testimony whereof I, affix my signature two witnesses.

GEORGE F. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. Konnzn, ANNA V. DOYLE.

